Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr says he is anticipating challenging games in Porto Novo against the Squirrels and in Lagos against Lesotho on March 27 and 30, respectively.
Nigeria lead the Group L qualifying group with eight points after four matches while Benin trail in second place with seven points, and Lesotho are at the bottom of the group with two points.
A win over Nigeria would seal the West Africans’ qualification ticket, expected to throw everything they have got at the three-time African champions.
And a confident Rohr is targeting a draw in Porto Novo against the tough Squirrels and a big win in Lagos versus Lesotho.
“We want to finish our qualification on a positive note, and the two matches against Benin and Lesotho are very important,” Rohr told the CAF website.
“Of course, we know that Benin is difficult to beat after our last game in Uyo (Nigeria won 2-1), and we need at least a point against them to qualify for next year’s AFCON.
“Then, we are playing our final game in Lagos. We want to win in Lagos because it has been a long time since we last played there, and we want to conclude the qualifiers with a victory as well.
“These are not going to be easy matches because Lesotho drew with Benin, but we are going to give our best against these opponents.”
Meanwhile, Rohr said his wards would approach Saturday’s match against Benin Republic with the intention of picking all three points, no matter the result of the group’s other tie in southern Africa.
The Super Eagles are expected to leave Lagos on Friday March 26 for Cotonou, ahead of their Saturday’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON qualifying clash with the Squirrels of Benin.
